Publication Feb. 14, 2023
On the surface, this is simply a sweet story about a puppy's first day of puppy school. She's excited to meet all the other puppies, doesn't quite know what to expect, and is willing but easily distracted. If you've ever had a puppy, you know what I mean.
Look deeper, however, and there is much, much more to this short story. Sally is the perfect corollary to human children first venturing out into the world and being almost overwhelmed by all it throws at them, often simultaneously. Along the way, she meets other pups, pups of all sizes, shapes, and colors. They are all puppies underneath all that fur, however. Some are amazing calm and listen to their human parents attentively. Others, like Sally, are easily distracted, full of energy, and find it hard to focus on the task at hand, "Sit".
Remind you of any children you know? Sitting still and listening doesn't come easy to many, such as Sally. Heck, recess, so to speak, is her favorite subject. Yet, she wants to please. She's lucky to have a patient teacher with a sense of humor, and keeps trying. But, oh, my, so many distractions. She eventually figures it out, however, perhaps learning from others' example as much as the calm repetition.
Now, true, Sally, much like me own no-longer-a-puppy dog may dream of rabbits, but this just shows her curiosity. Like children, she wants to learn about her world and all it has to offer. She just needs our patience to encourage her to "try, try, and try again".
Thanks to #NetGalley and #OrcaBookPublishers for allowing me to meet Sally. From Lo's sweet, whimsical artwork capturing Sally's day, to author Larsen's deftly subtle reminder that being a pup, human or canine, is full of wonder and distractions as we learn a bit more each day. Thoroughly enjoyed it and feel there's a message here for humans of, well, all sizes, shapes, and colors.
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